1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to miniature artificial trees and methods for fabricating such trees. More particularly, the present invention relates to making a miniature tree sculpture which provides a realistic tree sculpture which is beautifully delicate yet extremely durable.
2. Description of Related Art
Artificial miniature trees are used as part of architectural scale models, city planning models and other miniature models where a realistic landscape presentation is desired as part of the layout. Miniature trees may also be used in combination with other materials to provide a miniature landscape which is displayed alone for its beauty and artistic value.
When creating a miniature tree, it is desirable that the tree provide a realistic visual image including the presence of leaves. This presents a problem because the delicate structure and appearance of real leaves is difficult to imitate on a miniature scale. Further, difficulties arise because the miniature leaves tend to be delicate and can easily be damaged during handling and/or shipping. It therefore would be desirable to provide a miniature tree which includes leaves which realistically convey the delicacy and beauty of real leaves while being sufficiently durable to resist damage due to rough handling.
In order to make the production of realistic miniature trees commercially viable, the method for making the trees must be relatively simple, efficient and reproducible. In addition, the process must not require time consuming and labor intensive steps such as individual attachment of each leaf to the miniature branch structure.